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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626475">delicate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_lotte4/pseuds/little_lotte4'>little_lotte4</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, and that's exactly what happened here, could use some slowburn, huh, sometimes you look at something nice and think</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:41:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_lotte4/pseuds/little_lotte4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"My sisters used to force my brother and I to dance with them when we were children."</p>
<p>She wondered what he was like as a child. He told her he joined the Order at only thirteen, so she wouldn't put it past him to still be serious even so young, but maybe he was looser, golden curls more wild, smile unmarked and wide, happy before the lyrium. She didn't realize she had squeezed his hand until he reciprocated the gesture. "Played Lords and Ladies often, I take it?"</p>
<p>"Mia demanded it," he chuckled. "Although she did prefer Branson as a partner, since we fought over who would lead."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leliana insists Cullen teaches Ellana how to dance.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford, Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>delicate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The more Ellana learned about humans the stranger they got.</p>
<p>For one, they were so emotionless and stoic with little indication of what they were feeling less their words gave it away. Some were more expressive, using either their hands or eyebrows while they spoke but their stationary, strange little ears never moved. Some were easier to read than others, Cullen had his fair share of quirks -his hand always went to the back of his neck when he was nervous, or he gazed at the ceiling whenever the conversation became too personal or placed him in an uncomfortable spot- then others, such as Leliana, were a wall to Ellana. While still unusual for her, it was not exactly new to Ellana. Her clan had traded with humans enough to be semi familiar with them. The dancing, though, was completely new territory for her, and she almost thought Josephine had spontaneously decided she liked jokes when she suggested it. It wasn't the case, and she found herself in a room with Josephine and Leliana as they both demonstrated the steps for a typical Orlesian dance for her.</p>
<p>It was fun at first, Leliana was surprisingly free as she and Josie twirled around the room in a loose demonstration of what they would be teaching Ellana. Giving the latter of the two a glimpse of how she was when she was younger, before whatever happened to Leliana to make her how she was. Happiness was a good look on her, and her voice was soft and sweet as she sang an old Ferelden lullaby and led Josie through the dance. Even when Ellana was told to step in with Leliana as her partner and Josie her instructor, she found herself still having fun. She was horrible at it at first, too stiff as the dance felt too choreographed, and too much of a polar opposite of the dances she learned from her Clan for her to be a natural at it. But they were both patient with her, laughing with her for her mistakes rather than chastising her for them, and soon enough she was not half bad with Leliana at her side.</p>
<p>Leliana was taller than her and she could only be described as willowy, but her hands were strong, sure in their actions as they held Ellana and dipped and spun her. She had very faint freckles, something Ellana had never noticed before, and as she leaned into her she caught a distinct fragrance of a flower that was plentiful in Ferelden. Andraste's Grace, Ellana thinks, her and the other elven girls used to make crowns of them for the entire Clan. It was nice to smell them again. She would have to remember to gather the ones she came across for Leliana, or maybe see if they could be planted in the Skyhold garden. The thought distracted her and she missed a step, running into Leliana and having to be caught by Josie. She waited, anticipating the other two women to finally lose their patience with her but they only laughed as they said there was still time to get it right.</p>
<p>"There's never this much laughter in Skyhold."</p>
<p>The voice was deeper than anyone in the room, and Ellana looked up to find the source. Cullen stood in the doorway, his arms crossed but his smile amused as he took in the scene in front of him. It was almost strange to see him smile, and in the few months she had known him she couldn't say it was anything but rare. Must have been something in the air that day.</p>
<p>"It's fortunate that you're here, Commander, we could use you," Leliana said, not leaving room for an argument as she dragged him into the room. "Stand here."</p>
<p>"I'm not agreeing to anything," he insisted, sounding much more like his usual self. She didn't like him at first. Her Keeper had warned her of the Templars and the tirade he went on against siding with the mages back in Haven did not help with the first impression either. He was trying though. She respected his effort to grow from what he was taught, and she had even begun to consider how he felt with the lyrium leash the Chantry had put him and so many others on. It was easier to be blind to the other side, but once she became familiar with Cullen she realized she did not want to do that anymore. That as a mage she could still trust him, and she wanted him to feel the same about her.</p>
<p>She felt a lot of things that she could only hope he felt too.</p>
<p>After positioning Cullen to where she wanted him, Leliana was grabbing Ellana and pulling her closer to the man in question. He rose an eyebrow, always questioning whatever he was not in control of as Leliana waved him off. "She needs to learn how to dance," she insisted.</p>
<p>"And how am I supposed to teach her?" He protested. Ellana has never seen him dance, but she has seen him training with a sword. His movements were precise and swift, and had taught him anything he would need to know about the Orlesian dance style. Still, she couldn't imagine he'd be a better teacher than the other two advisors. That's when she caught Leliana and Josephine sharing a look, both looking too pleased with themselves as they ignored Cullen's protests.</p>
<p>"Stand in while she learns the steps without a lead guiding her," Leliana said.</p>
<p>There seemed to be more than a few arguments on Cullen's tongue, but then he locked eyes with her before sighing and agreeing. He seemed apologetic as he approached her, and a hand came gingerly to her waist while the other slipped into her palm. His hands were trembling, unnaturally warm too as she closed her hand around his. The passing flirtations and quick glances that she wasn't entirely sure wasn't just her hopeful imagination came to mind, and for the first time she wondered if this was entirely her effect on him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, unsure herself as they stood stiffly together, neither knowing what to do next.</p>
<p>Leliana circled them, the tired sigh she let out proof that she was not satisfied with their positioning. She was gentle as she nudged Ellana a few steps closer to Cullen until her chest pressed against his and she had to tilt her chin up to see his face. He had a scar on his jaw. Not nearly the size of the one on his lip, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the silver line nestled in his stubble. She wondered how he got it, and would've been content to spend the rest of the evening asking him about it had their company not had other plans in mind.</p>
<p>"She doesn't bite, Cullen," Leliana insisted. Not nearly as gently as she was with Ellana, Leliana grabbed his hand and slid it lower, the intimacy of it not completely lost as he felt the trail of her waist to her hip. His hand somehow felt even warmer, and she could see that his blush crept from his cheeks down into the soft cotton shirt he wore. If he was in his usual full armor he might have burned through it, and strangely enough she found it endearing, knowing she made him so nervous just by being close to him.</p>
<p>"Not unless you want me to," she teased, squeezing his hand as to not completely scare him off.</p>
<p>"<em>Maker."</em></p>
<p>He was surprisingly soft. His eyes were kind when he wasn't wearing a scowl on his face, and as his eyes searched her features she noticed the color for the first time. Not quite brown or hazel but somewhere in between, a warm amber that softened his entire face. Even with his scar the slight smile on his face was kind, although it had never bothered her before. She found the scar endearing, actually. Thought it made him appear more handsome than he would be without it. Suddenly shy, he cast his eyes down and she realized she had been staring for too long.</p>
<p>"Shall we begin?" Josie asked.</p>
<p>The beginning of the dance started side-by-side, the actions mirrored with no one leading, and Leliana insisted they had practiced it enough. Leliana was confident, sure in her every step and her hands guided Ellana through hers, but she felt a bit silly with Cullen. Ever the Ferelden, there was nothing special in the way Cullen danced. No unneeded grace or flourish, instead he did the steps as intended and left them stiff. They managed to get a few steps in, even if Cullen looked ready to make a run for it the entire time, before there was their first mishap. Shoes were still not completely comfortable to her, and usually the first thing she did when reaching her quarters at night was kicking the offending objects off, but she was grateful for them now as Cullen took a wrong step and landed over her foot. He caught his mistake right away, barely putting any pressure on her let alone actually hurting her before he backed away, blushing a deep scarlet and apologizing. There was that quirk she noticed, his hand going to the back of his neck to rub the skin there. She wondered if the spot was tense, and thought about what it would be like to gently massage away the pain for him. A thought that was interrupted as he backed away, seemingly not being able to get away from her fast enough.</p>
<p>"It's alright, Cullen," she said quickly. She reached out, not thinking about her actions as she grasped his hand. "Stay."</p>
<p>That soft look returned, and she decided she liked him best this way. Trusting, gentle, <em>happy.</em> "Alright," he all but whispered.</p>
<p>"Yes, well, try not to step on her foot this time," Josie said, reminding the two of the others in the room.</p>
<p>They didn't need Leliana supervising them that time around, instead Cullen gathered her in his arms, more sure of himself than before as he began the steps once more. She was supposed to be leading to get a sense of the steps lest her partner in the Winter Palace was not as reliable as Leliana, but Cullen seemed content to guide her. Although she was not sure she should have expected anything different from him. "Is this your first time dancing?" She asked.</p>
<p>"That obvious?" He laughed. Leliana had given him instructions as well, and the part of the dance seemed easy enough, and more intimate than anything. Though the intimacy was lost with Leliana and Josie, as Cullen's hands felt different around her. He was not half the dancer as either of them but his touch was the only one that made her want to melt into him. So she did, she leaned in closer to him just to see how he'd react. His hand tightened around her hip as she rested her head against his chest right over his heart, his heart that was beating almost as fast as hers was. "My sisters used to force my brother and I to dance with them when we were children."</p>
<p>She wondered what he was like as a child. He told her he joined the Order at only thirteen, so she wouldn't put it past him to still be serious even so young, but maybe he was looser, golden curls more wild, smile unmarked and wide, happy before the lyrium. She didn't realize she had squeezed his hand until he reciprocated the gesture. "Played Lords and Ladies often, I take it?"</p>
<p>"Mia demanded it," he chuckled. "Although she did prefer Branson as a partner, since we fought over who would lead."</p>
<p>"Who would win?"</p>
<p>"She <em>was</em> taller than me for a few years," he pointed out, giving her an answer without having to say it. There was a fond smile on his face, wistful as he thought about happier times. "Rose was a better dance partner, she was content to just be picked up and spun around."</p>
<p>"Creators don't do that to me." She felt his laugh in his chest, comforting enough to make her shut her eyes and smile to herself. "It sounds like you were all close."</p>
<p>"We were," he sighed. The room was silent as Cullen was lost in his thoughts. She was content with leaving him to them, not wanting to pry knowing he wouldn't exactly be forthcoming with anything personal unless it was his choice. He surprised her. "I wonder if Rosalie even remembers me."</p>
<p>She didn't know when they had stopped dancing, but they stood in the middle of the room just holding each other. She doubted this was a common occurrence in the Orlesian court, but a quick glance proved that they were alone and the dance lessons had ended whenever Leliana and Josie had managed to sneak out. "Has it really been that long?" He nodded, swallowing thickly as his arms tightened around her. "What's stopping you from seeing them when all this is over?"</p>
<p>He tensed in her arms, completely rigid at the mere suggestion of facing his family once more. Still, knowing when to quit was never exactly something she was good at, too often that voice in her head demanded her to keep pushing even when logic told her not to. She looked up at him, eyes questioning as she examined the pained look on his face, and her hands followed to rest flat against his chest. His heartbeat was still quick, but she doesn't think it was for a good reason anymore. "Cullen, they would want to see you."</p>
<p>His hands covered hers, holding them for only a moment between them before gently letting go. Her hands fell to her sides, something she only dully registered as she watched him. He took a step back. "It's best that I keep my distance."</p>
<p>"From everyone?" She asked gently. He turned his face, not having an answer for her. "That's no way to live."</p>
<p>"It's for the better," he insisted. She could still feel the warmth of him as she watched him walk to the door, his hand in hers, his breath stirring her curls, his chest beneath her cheek, all of it fading as he stood in the doorway. He looked back once, his usual professional demeanor returning to him as he regarded her.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Ellana."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm over at @gone-girll on tumblr if you're like, into that</p></blockquote></div></div>
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